A Study of Fort Pilar

I used OMNI Rhymes color pencils.
Enhanced in Adobe Photoshop.

Below is an extract about Fort Pilar from http://www.manilamagazine.com

Zamboanga, the City of Flowers
For: Rick Enrique's Travel Guide
Date: March 23-30, 2007

Fort Pilar was built by the Spaniards in 1635 to ward off attacks from the Moros and foreign invaders. As we all know, the Spaniards first landed in the Philippines in the 1500's but it was not until 1635 when a force of 300 Spaniards and 1000 Visayan troops under the command of Captain Juan Chavez, together with Jesuit priest Melchor de Vera, reached the shore of Zamboanga.

Originally named Real Fuerza de San Jose, the fort was huge enough to house the living quarters of the Spanish officials, the soldiers and their families. Inside were the church, school and hospital, much like in the Intamuros, the Walled City in Manila.

By 1663, the Real Fuerza de San Jose was abandoned, as part of Spain's strategy to re-enforce its troops in Manila and Cavite against the local insurrections. For 55 years, Zamboanga and the fort were left at the mercy of Sultan Qudarat and the other native leaders who laid siege for the control of the fort. During this period, the natives destroyed all the improvements and fortification including the church while the Christian converts reverted to Islam.

Due to the clamor of the Jesuits, the Royal government reconsidered the popular request to reopen the fort and continue the evangelization among the natives. So in 1718, the fort was re-established and in January of 1734, the soldiers brought along with them the image of the Lady of Pilar from Zaragosa as their Patron. It was then that the fort was renamed Real Fuerza de Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragosa, whose statue was embossed on the east wall as a front piece atop the entrance. This was eventually sealed off when it became a shrine. Legends have it that the Lady of Pilar performed a number of miracles during that time. When Americans captured the fort in 1899, the fort came to be known simply as Fort Pilar.

Today, Fort Pilar serves as a museum of arts for the many different tribes of Zamboanga. These are the Badjaos, Yakans, Samals, Subanens and the Tausogs. They will be the subjects in our succeeding stories.

Read more at http://www.manilamagazine.com/press-release/zamboanga.htm